February 10th, 2011
What began as a modest, experimental finals-season gesture became one of the busiest and most auspicious events that the Study Hut has ever participated in. Early in January, the Hut got in touch with Mary Lou Cordaro, who works with the library at West High School. The Hut volunteered its services for any West students ambitious enough to sign up for extra tutoring on the Friday and Saturday (January 21 and 22) before exams. A few tutors from each of the Hut’s branches signed up to work at “stations” according to subject, which students could move among during the three hours per day that we would be there. We expected a slight crowd, an atmosphere perhaps even casual (or as casual as possible with finals looming ahead). But Mary Lou, one of the most enthusiastic educators we have ever had the privilege to work with, tirelessly promoted the event until the roster had racked up the names of over one hundred students eager for all the help they could get their hands on.
Suddenly, it was all hands on deck. Subject stations were set up throughout the library’s spacious first floor. Textbooks were handed out. The library doors opened like floodgates, and the place was teeming with students. All grades were represented, and for three hours each day the students moved among the tables and classrooms to garner whatever study tips they could. To those students who stayed long, paid attention, and were reluctant to leave even at the two-minute warning, tutors passed out vouchers for free hours of final exam tutoring. Thanks to the students, tutors, and of course, Mary Lou, those were two of the most fruitful days in Hut history. After it was over, many students redeemed their vouchers before their exams, and several of them have begun to stay on for regular help.
Before January 21, while we had been looking forward to the event, we had not expected such bewildering success. It was a great educational experience, not only for the students, but also for the tutors, many of whom had never worked with such large groups before. And it was fun, to boot! As the Hut plans for its future, we are looking forward to many more tutoring opportunities like it. Thank you to the Mary Lou, the tutors, and the students who made this first one so great!
Tags: bert m lynn, finals tutoring, history tutor, jefferson middle school, math tutor, Parras Middle School, parras tutoring, Science tutor, South Bay tutoring, South Bay tutors, st. james tutoring, Torrance tutoring, torrance tutors, Tutoring in the South Bay, tutoring in torrance, west high school, west high tutoring
Posted in 9-12, AP US History, Biology, Chemistry, foreign languages, General, high school, Redondo Beach, South Bay, South Torrance, study skills, Test taking anxiety, Testing, Tutors, Uncategorized |
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February 9th, 2011
Study Hut Tutoring is proud to announce the opening of its newest location. Study Hut El Segundo will be having its soft opening on Monday, March 7, 2001, at which point students will begin subject tutoring and SAT tutoring as usual.
We already have a small client base that will be starting immediately. These students currently attend El Segundo High School, El Segundo Middle School, Richmond Street School, Center Street Elementary, Arena High School, St. Bernard High School, among other schools.
Study Hut Tutoring El Segundo will be staffed by young, local tutors, fresh out of college. We specialize by subject, and can handle almost any class through the high school level. We can tutor almost every AP class, and we also tutor Loyola Marymount students in select subjects. Finding a good LMU tutor can prove to be difficult, and our students are always ecstatic about the service they receive.
Here are a few of the subjects that we tutor at Study Hut Tutoring:
– Math tutoring: algebra; geometry; trigonometry; pre-calculus; AP Calculus; AP Statistics.
– English tutoring: All levels, K-12th grade, and college.
– Science tutoring: biology; chemistry; physics; marine biology; physiology.
– History tutoring: world history/European history; U.S. history; geography; economics; government
– Spanish tutoring
We also provide one-on-one SAT tutoring in El Segundo, as well as training for the SAT 2s, PSAT, ACT, PLAN, HSPT, COOP, TACHS, and ISEE.
For pre-enrollment and guaranteed placement in a preferred time slot, or for general questions before March, please call our Manhattan Beach office at 310-546-2408, and ask for the owner, Rob. We will add the El Segundo phone number to the website as soon as it becomes available.
Tags: el segundo high school, El Segundo Middle School, El Segundo Study Hut, El Segundo tutor, el segundo tutoring, el segundo tutors, English tutor, LMU tutor, math tutor, Science tutor, Spanish tutor, St. Bernard tutor, Study Hut El Segundo, Study Hut Tutoring El Segundo
Posted in 6-8, 9-12, Algebra, Algebra 2, AP Biology, AP European History, AP US History, Biology, Calculus, Chemistry, Economics, El Segundo, elementary school, English, Geometry, Government, high school, HSPT, K-5, math, middle school, Modern World History, Physics, Physiology, Pre-Calculus, SAT, science, Spanish, Statistics, Summer Tutoring, Trigonometry, Tutors, US History |
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December 14th, 2010
Being a veteran tutor at the Hut, I have heard my fair share of
questions from students. One of the most common questions I hear,
especially with math, is some form of the question, “when will I EVER
use this again?” As a trained engineer and eternal student of math and
science I do my best to explain to those college-bound kids that there
is more to it than meets the eye.
It’s hard for kids to understand that when they practice math that
they are learning a language. And as far as languages go, this is much
more complex than learning how to conjugate verbs in Spanish or
memorize French vocabulary. Learning to understand mathematics
comprehensively takes years beyond what a typical 18 year old has
under their belt. What your kids are doing is getting the basics
driven into them until solving an equation becomes as second nature to
them as dribbling a basketball is to Kobe Bryant. As you study more
math it becomes more and more complex, stretching your mind to think in different ways to solve a new problem or understand a new concept, just as pumping iron will leave you sore the next day.
What I want to stress is that our society will always need technical
expertise. But that’s not to say that we need number crunchers,
accountants or statisticians to make the world a better place. What we
do need is creative thinkers that are interested changing the way
things work and inventors that are not satisfied with the status quo.
When your kids say that being a scientist would be boring or that
nobody would be their friend if they declare themselves a math major,
remind them that these people are not just nerds. They are problem
solvers, and people that solve problems think outside of the box. They
must be creative in order to solve the complex problems that our
society demands.
So when your kids tell you that math is worthless and they’ll never
use it again I strongly urge you to ask them a few questions. Ask them
to think about their day to day lives and list all of the technology
they use. The video games that they spend hours if not days trying to
beat are all thanks to people that studied mathematics and science for
several years. That cell phone they’re always texting their friends
on? Throw that out the window if it weren’t for the scientific genius
of the 20th century. How about that car they want to drive? If it’s
made in the last decade it’s almost as much computer as it is engine.
If your son or daughter hates their math class or is struggling with
their chemistry homework it’s important to let them know that, yes, it
can be difficult, but no, it is not impossible. It’s even more
important to let them know that they can really do something with this
beyond their current assignment. They may not change their opinion
about their teacher or their assignment, but at least they can know
that it’s not worthless.
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Posted in 9-12, Chemistry |
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November 29th, 2010
If Study Hut isn’t already in your daily vernacular, well – it should be. We’ve been called lifesavers and superheroes, among other superlatives, but we prefer the term tutors. When we are not solving multi-variable polynomial mysteries, we are working hard to make sure our students excel in school.
Hut superstar Kate, a student at Mira Costa High School, is the epitome of a Hut student. Kate comes to the Hut regularly to study, refine and reinforce concepts she is struggling with in her academic classes. Beyond prepping for tests and finishing homework assignments, she is inquisitive about the topics she is learning and asks thought-provoking questions to master the material beyond textbook knowledge. She is never afraid to seek help and is ever ready to do extra practice problems to ingrain these concepts. Her high grades are evidence of her diligence and a testament to our competency and commitment.
The encouraging and nurturing ambiance at Study Hut is vital to the success of students like Kate. We aim to advance and cultivate the students’ desire to learn and grow. By incorporating analogies, interactive videos, worksheets and personal anecdotes into our lesson plans, the tutors are able to provide exciting insight and applicability to the seemingly humdrum topics. I personally enjoy using Math, Biology, Chemistry pick-up lines/jokes to teach the material. While you may not ROFLOL when I ask you `Why did the bear dissolve in water?’ and respond with an enthusiastic `because it was POLAR!’- You will definitely remember the solubility rules of polar compounds. This personal touch catered to the needs of each student is forte of Study Hut. The focused 1-on-1 tutoring, coupled with our unique style, develops these young’uns into self-motivated and hardworking students and avid learners.
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Posted in 9-12, Chemistry, high school, Learning, Manhattan Beach, Self esteem, study skills |
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November 16th, 2010
I am a new tutor at the Study Hut and am excited to be working with great students in the South Bay! I have really enjoyed working with one student in particular, Meghan from Redondo Union High School. Meghan enjoys sports and school but homework isn’t her favorite thing to do after being at school all day. Meghan is really busy and explained to me that she enjoys coming to the Study Hut so she can focus on homework. There are a lot of distractions in her life, but she said receiving tutoring helps her get her work done.
One afternoon Meghan came in and all of the work she had for the day seemed really overwhelming to her. We took one subject at a time and made a task list for the day. As we completed assignments, Meghan crossed things off her list and felt like she accomplished a lot. One subject we worked on was Earth Science. Plate Tectonics were confusing and Meghan didn’t think she would be able to understand them. After re-reading the chapter, we were able to break down the main concepts, define important words and successfully answer the review questions at the end of the chapter. Meghan learned how to search for answers using her textbook and in the end, realized that Plate Tectonics weren’t as confusing as she had originally thought.
I enjoyed working with Meghan because I know how overwhelming school and homework can seem. I enjoy helping students realize that they are fully capable of completing their work and to take things one-step at a time. At the end of our session, Meghan learned how to keep her work organized and felt more confident. Helping students succeed is why I enjoy tutoring and am looking forward to meeting more students!
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Posted in 9-12, high school, Redondo Beach, science |
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October 29th, 2010
I am currently an academic tutor at Study Hut Tutoring in Redondo Beach. Every week here at the “hut” is a new experience. Last week one of my students absolutely blew me away! She started with us this summer and attends Redondo Union High School. When she came in the first few times for math tutoring it was obvious that she wished she were elsewhere. As the summer progressed she opened up slowly when we talked about music, or clothes, or yes, boys! (I went there!) Last Tuesday she walked in holding a can of whipped cream and exclaimed “I’m gonna be here for while!”. She went to kitchen filled two cups with coffee and told me “You have to try this”, as she packed on the delicious whipped cream. We sipped our indulgent treat as we tackled her math homework. Near the end of her hour it became evident that she still had more work to do. She asked if she could stick around even though I had another kid coming. She sat at the other table throughout my next two sessions, drinking sweet coffee and working steadily. Three months ago she would NOT have chosen to stay here for two additional hours! Now she sees Study Hut as her place– a place she can hangout at– and she has changed her mind about school.
Throughout my four years in college I was a tutor, now a grad student, I can honestly say that I have never seen anything work as well as Study Hut’s approach. Everything from the relaxed decor to our energetic tutors make this place conducive to truly enjoying tutoring.
Tags: Math tutoring, Redond beach tutor, Redondo Beach Tutoring, Redondo union high school tutoring, Study Hut Tutoring
Posted in 9-12, Redondo Beach, Self esteem |
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June 3rd, 2010
A lot of students from Palos Verdes and Peninsula High School come into our Redondo office despising math, and I don’t blame them. Mathematics is a tough subject that takes a lot of time to understand, and students often try to get by by memorizing the rules, proofs, and theorems without ever perceiving how they work. After all, it’s a nasty subject that I’ll never really need. Who cares about the directrix of a parabola? When do I need to know how to calculate the area of a n-sided polygon? What’s the point of being able to do basic arithmetic in my head? I can just use my iPhone calculator to get the answer, or Google search it. That’s good enough.
It’s tough to argue against these points, but I believe that putting your best foot forward when tackling math builds a solid foundation, not only in regards to academics but to life as well. If a child is willing to put in the time to genuinely understand how trigonometric identities work, they’ll be more likely to work for things in life, whether it be a job, sport, or relationship in the future. If a student understands that they need to address their poor grades in math head-on instead of ignoring it, they won’t run when life gets tough. On the other hand, if that student resorts to taking short cuts in math or gives up after trying only once, they’re likely to throw their hands up in the air whenever they face adversity. Just like there are no short cuts to becoming a great Sea King or Panther athlete, there are no short cuts in academics, especially math.
So please, help your child develop good life habits by spending some extra time one or two nights a week helping them with their math. Make sure they show their work and don’t just guess the answer. Ask them questions to see how well they really grasp the material. Tell them, “Good job!” or “Nice work!” when they’re trying their best. Teach them the joy of hard work. As a math tutor, there are no secrets to help these students. I help them first understand the basics and then build on those basics. I teach them how to systematically analyze a problem and try various approaches instead of looking in the back of the book for the answer. I encourage them to ask questions when they don’t understand something. These are all good habits that people need to succeed in life, and mathematics is a great place for children to start developing them.
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Posted in 9-12, Algebra, Algebra 2, Geometry, high school, Palos Verdes, Peninsula, Pre-Calculus, Redondo Beach, study skills, Teaching, Trigonometry |
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May 24th, 2010
With the increasing amount of accessible technology and decreasing amount of human attention spans, people get bored easily. Nintendo DS’s, Kindles, and iPads are meant to serve people with an immediate means of pocket-size entertainment. But what some people forget is the simplicity of those things we use every day: our words. The challenge of a cross word puzzle is usually more intriguing than mindlessly staring at a solitaire screen and the reward of a completed puzzle is oh so blissful. This particular brand of brain teaser is not only great for killing time while waiting for your parents to pick you up from practice, but also conducive to a learning environment, such as the Study Hut. You see, crossword puzzles require a certain out-of-the-box mindset to be solved. This is helpful to students who are preparing to take standardized tests, such as the SAT or ACT. These standardized tests, at their core, are not about testing intelligence. Rather, they test students on whether they can adapt to a certain style of thinking and deductive reasoning in order to answer their specific questions.
For the crossword novice, the Los Angeles Times or USA Today crosswords are the best because they allow the user to see when they are correct or incorrect. Also, the Los Angles Times crossword puzzles start with their easiest puzzles on Monday and get progressively more difficult through Sunday. This is a great way to spend down time because it increases mental acuity and also builds a stronger vocabulary, another reason why it would improve standardized testing scores.
Here is an example from a Monday clue in the LA Times: “One quarter of M” (3 letters.)
For this clue, the puzzle draws upon your knowledge to recognize this as a math problem and to solve using Roman numerals. Since “M” is 1,000. One quarter of that is 250. C = 100 and L = 50. The correct answer is: CCL.
Here is an example from a Sunday clue in the LA Times: “It might have a nut at each end.” (5 letters.)
If you’ve done enough crosswords, you can figure out that they don’t mean the kind of nuts that you eat. Drawing on homonyms for nut, another type of nut might be the tool used with bolts. Since it is 1 more letter than bolt, the answer is “Ubolt.”
The mentality employed by crossword puzzles makes one think outside of the box, using verbal puns, pop culture knowledge, mathematics, history, and anything else we use our brains for. Being able to adapt to this thinking style is a sure way to keep your brain sharp, acute, and ever ready for the perfect riddle!
Luv,
Whitney
Tags: SAT score, SAT tutor, SAT tutoring, SAT tutors, Tutoring SATs
Posted in 9-12, Comprehension, General Articles, high school, Learning, life skills, SAT, Testing |
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May 20th, 2010
Many people think math is really boring. This is because, for the most part, teachers are lame and don’t make the material interesting. There is a lot of cool and weird mathematics out there that kids unfortunately are not exposed to. Here are a couple of interesting mathematical oddities that will hopefully spark some interest in math:
You want to find the sum of the infinite series 1-1+1-1+1-1+1-… This pattern repeats forever. At first glance, you would likely say (1-1)+(1-1)+(1-1)+… = 0+0+0+0+… and conclude the sum is 0. At second glance you may say the 1+(-1+1) +(-1+1) +(-1+1) +(-1+1) = 1+0+0+0+0+… = 1. Turns out both of these are wrong and the sum turns out to be ½. Here is why:
Let’s call the sum of the series S, whatever it may be. So, S = 1-1+1-1+1-1+1-…
Now, look at 1-S. We get 1-S = 1- [1-1+1-1+1-1+1-…] = 1-1+1-1+1-1+1-… = S. This is the same as our original series. We just showed that 1-S = S which means that 1=2S or that S=1/2. Pretty crazy that you can add 1 and -1 infinitely many times to get ½.
Here is another cool little proof why 1=2:
Let a =b. Then a2 = ab.
So, a2+ a2 = a2+ab or 2a2 = a2+ab.
Now, Subtract 2ab from both sides of the equation. Doing so, we get:
2a2 -2ab= a2+ab-2ab
So, 2a2 -2ab= a2-ab
Now, we factor out a 2 from the left side of the equation which leave us with:
2(a2+ab) = a2+ab
Divide both sides by a2+ab leaves us with:
2=1.
Take a close look though. While everything seems to be right, we all know 2 does not equal 1. Can you find the erroneous step? If not, come to the Study Hut and we can show you what’s up.
Tags: math, math problems, Math tutoring, math tutors, study Hut, Study Hut Tutoring
Posted in 9-12, Algebra, Algebra 2, General, high school, Learning, math, Pre-Calculus, Teaching, Trigonometry, Tutor Tips |
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May 13th, 2010
At The Hut, we know that all students learn differently and come to tutoring with unique expectations. For those high achieving high school students who are immersed in Advanced Placement courses, SAT practice, and extracurricular activities, time management is key.
Junior and senior year of high school are the most academically demanding years of the four. This is the time when students are mastering those tough classes (AP Euro, Bio, US, Chem, Spanish…) and special skills (soccer, music, community service…) that will make them competitive at the university of their choice. With little sleep and less free time during the day, what these teens need is a schedule.
Mira Costa junior Danny came to The Study Hut in need of a little planning. With a full schedule of electives and extracurriculars, Danny had no trouble learning the material; he just needed to find the time to do it. During tutoring sessions, Danny and I spent time organizing his schedule for the week – ensuring that he would have time to do the activities he loves as well as the focused studying that he needs to ace information-dense AP Biology. With a realistic amount of time blocked out every day for biology review, and the creation of specific goals for the completion of assignments, Danny’s test scores immediately improved. With the continued use of these organization techniques, as well as weekly concept review at The Study Hut, Danny’s grades are steadily improving. By the time of the AP Biology exam, he had drastically improved his grade in the class and his ability to retain large amounts of information.
One hour of one-on-one tutoring for high school students is not only an excellent way to clarify difficult concepts, it is also a way to keep busy students on track all week long. Short-term study techniques will prepare a student for an upcoming test, but organization and planning skills with a long-term focus are the key to improving a student’s ability to learn information, retain information, and succeed in the analytic-based learning that is in their future. The commitment to a regular schedule allows students to anticipate assignments and plan their schedules accordingly. This reduces stress, which in turn makes test-taking less of an ordeal. Less panic means better decisions and higher scores. Period.
If a student can stick to a study plan and stop relying on last-minute cramming, they are guaranteed to see positive results. And a little more sleep never hurts either…
Tags: achieving high school students, Advanced placement tutoring, AP bio tutoring, AP bio tutors, AP Biology tutor, AP biology tutoring, AP biology tutors, AP Euro tutor, AP Euro Tutoring, AP Euro Tutors, AP European history tutor, AP European History Tutoring, AP European History tutors, AP tutoring, AP tutors, AP US tutor, AP US tutoring, Chem tutor, chemistry tutoring, Chemistry tutors, Planning, sat help, SAT practice, SAT prep, SAT preparation, SAT tutor, SAT tutoring, SAT tutors, Spanish Tutoring, Spanish tutors
Posted in 9-12, AP Biology, AP European History, AP US History, Biology, Chemistry, high school, SAT, Spanish, study skills, Teaching, Testing, Tutor Tips |
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